For many people, part of the year-end holiday celebrations is drinking, as in consuming alcohol. Increased consumption in late December is so common, in fact, that cardiologists have identified what they call “holiday heart syndrome” — the onset of atrial fibrillation or some other arrhythmia, typically around Christmas and New Year’s Eve (as well as on other special occasions), due to binge drinking by those who aren’t used to it
But let’s assume that you’re not going to overdo it — but still would like to raise a glass or two as part of your Yuletide fun. It turns out that, like so many things, the drink you might prefer varies from state to state. To determine what each state’s preference might be, 24/7 Tempo reviewed “The Most Popular Christmas Drink in Every State,” published by Tasting Table.
The site found that there was a 700% increase in Google searches for “Christmas theme drinks” between mid-November and mid-December (which makes sense; people aren’t likely to be searching that term for the Fourth of July), and also that searches for “Christmas punch” went up 400%.
It turns out that precisely that particular tipple is apparently the favored Christmas drink in eight states. In another eight, the preference is the Coquito (rum, coconut milk, condensed milk, and vanilla). Those two are outdone only by the Poinsettia Cocktail (Champagne, Cointreau, and cranberry juice), which was the most searched in a dozen states. (Speaking of states, though not of holidays, here are some iconic drinks from every state that everyone should try.)
Eggnog, a traditional holiday favorite, also associated with New Year’s Day, comes next, followed by the closely related wassail and mulled wine. The only other drink that resonates in more than one state is Christmas sangria, a beverage for which there are numerous recipes (for instance, red with, pomegranate and cranberry juices, and a hint of cinnamon).
Here is the most popular Christmas drink in every state
| Rank | Favorite Holiday drink | Number of states where it is the most popular | States where it was favored |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Chocolate Martini | 1 | Rhode Island |
| 11 | Hot Buttered Rum | 1 | Delaware |
| 10 | Mulled Cider | 1 | Idaho |
| 9 | Peppermint Martini | 1 | California |
| 8 | Hot Toddy | 1 | Wyoming |
| 7 | Christmas Sangria | 3 | New York, Massachusetts, South Carolina |
| 6 | Mulled Wine | 3 | Arkansas, Nebraska, New Mexico |
| 5 | Wassail | 5 | Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota |
| 4 | Eggnog | 6 | Hawaii, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Vermont, West Virginia |
| 3 | Coquito | 8 | Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin |
| 2 | Christmas Punch | 8 | Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Washington |
| 1 | Poinsettia Cocktail | 12 | Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Virginia |